The present invention relates to the art of microwave popcorn popping, and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved in-bag popping arrangement equipped for efficient separation of spent unpopped kernels from the popped kernels resulting from a microwave popping event.
In view of the growing popularity of in-bag microwave popping of popcorn, there has been considerable attention to supplying the popcorn with selected flavorings, both liquid, paste or dry flavorings, some of which are essentially nonsticky on the popped popcorn, while others are essentially sticky at least during the heated phase of the popping cycle.
In virtually every batch of popped popcorn, a number of kernels may, and generally do, remain unpopped. Where the in-bag microwave popped popcorn has been supplied with or without nonsticky flavorants, the unpopped kernels can generally be reasonably separated from the popped kernels by shaking the bag before or after opening the top for access to the popped kernels, the shaking causing the unpopped kernels to gravitate into the bottom of the bag, although a substantial number of unpopped kernels may be mixed with the popped kernels lying on the bottom of the bag.
As to microwave in-bag popping with a sticky flavor system, a major problem has been experienced due to the tendency of unpopped kernels to adhere to the sticky popped kernels by virtue of the viscous condition of the sticky flavor system at least while it is still hot. When a bag of freshly microwave popped sticky flavorant coated popcorn has been thoroughly shaken unpopped kernels will gravitate toward the bottom of the bag. However, any unpopped kernels in or on the edible popped popcorn are at best a nuisance and at worst a tooth damage liability.